Paper clip



July 22 1924a 1,502,623 J. FRITZ PAPER CLIP' Filed March 16. 1923 BVM I .m0/mers seemed hay sa, ieee,

ont

TES

JOHN FRITZ, OF NEVI BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS.

PAPER. CLIP.

Application filed March 16, 1923.

To all whom 'it may concern.' y

Be it known that I, JOHN Fnrrz, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New Bedford, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and Improved Paper Clip, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

rlhis invention relates to fastening devices and has particular reference to a paper clip.

In known paper clips of the type embodied in the present invention, there have been provided a plurality of prongs or teeth, usually three in number, two of which are disposed adjacent one end of the clip and the third at the other end, said prongs being all of the same length. It has been found in practice that unless the prongs are very accurately formed the two adjacent prongs do not properly penetrate the paper and inter fere with the penetration of the single pron An object of the present invention is to overcome the present difficulty by providing the clip with prongs adjacent each end f thereof, the. prongs at opposite ends being of dierent lengths.

Another object is to provide an improved clip of simple and inexpensive construction which will be effective in securely fastening together a plurality of sheets of paper.

The above and other objects will appear more clearly from the following detail description, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the inventive idea.

In the drawing- Figure 1 is a plan view of a clip constructed in accordance with this invention and showing the same in its operative position;

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2 2 of Figure l; i

Figure 3 is a plan view of the blank forming the clip; and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the clip before using the same to fasten sheets of paper together.

The clip embodying the features of the present invention is preferably formed from a single length of relatively thin material which may be readily flexed when securing a number of sheets of paper 5 together. The

Serial No. 625,556.

blank 6 of which the clip is formed is preferably reduced intermediate its ends by forming the oppositely disposed notches 7 in the longitudinal edges thereof, thus forming the end portions 8 and 9 of the clip.

Struck from the portion 8 at a point adja cent its free end is a single prong or tooth 10 of tapered formation which extends to ward the medial portion of the clip. The portion 9 of the clip also has a pair of prongs or teeth l1 struck therefrom adjacent its free end and also extending toward the medial portion of the clip. These prongs 11 are arranged in spaced relation so that when the portions 8 and 9 are bent upon themselves into operative position the prong l() will be disposed between the prongs 11.

Furthermore, in order that the prongV l() will engage and penetrate the sheets of paper 5 when securing the same together before the penetration of said sheets by the prongs 11, the latter prongs are made considerably shorter in length than the prong l() so that saidl prongs 11 will not interfere with the penetration of the sheets by the prong l0 and the bending of this prong into the position shown in Figure 2. Following the penetration of the sheets by the prong 10 and the initial bending thereof toward its ultimate position, as .shown in Figure 2, the prongs 11 will then penetrate the sheets and as the portions 8 and 9 lare brought into close relationship said prongs ll will also be bent in the same manner, as indicated in connection with the prong l0, thus securely interlocking the sheets between said portions 8' and 9.

What is claimed is:

A paper clip formed from an elongated strip of resilient material having oppositely disposed notches dividing said strip into end portions, one of said end portions having a single prong struck therefrom and capable of being projected entirely through a sheet of paper and extended in one direction, and the other portion of said strip having a pair of prongs struck therefrom of less length than the first-named prong and also capable of being projected entirely through said sheet and extended in a direction directly opposite to that of the first-named prong. JOHN FRITZ. 

